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The oppositional leader, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation Andrei Klimau, right, was arrested on 3 April 2007 for an article of 25 January 2007 that was published by the web-site of the United Civil Party. A criminal case was brought before the court under part 3 of article 361 of the Criminal Code ‘Public calls to seizure of the state power or forced change of the state order of the Republic of Belarus committed with the use of mass media’. (14-SEP-07)
 

The Ihar Hiermianchuk Memorial Diploma “For Adherence to the Principles of Freedom of Speech” has been presented to Iosif Syaredzich, Editor-in-Chief of “Narodnaya Vola”. The Honorary Diploma was founded by the Norwegian PEN-center and the Human Rights House Foundation together with BAJ. This year, the awarding ceremony was dated to the International Solidarity Day of Journalists, globally celebrated on September 8th. (10-SEPT-07) 
 

Belarusian authorities have begun preparations for the parliamentary elections campaign 2008 beforehand by liquidation and suspension of the political parties. For the last two months the Ministry of Justice has given warnings to six political parties. While the activity of the Party of Communists of Republic of Belarus was suspended for six months by the Supreme Court, the Labour Party was liquidated and the women’s party ‘Nadzeya’ faces liquidation. (06-SEP-07)
 

The founders of the public human rights association ‘Viasna’ have finally received an official letter from the Ministry of Justice ‘On refusal of state registration for the public association’. The Ministry lists five reasons why Viasna´s request to be registered has been refused. Viasna comments, giving their interpretation of why the organisation has been denied registration. (29-AUG-07)
 

Following Belarusian authorities’ liquidation of the Human Rights Center Viasna in October 2003, members of the organisation appealed sent an appeal to the UN Human Rights Committee in April 2004, suggesting that the liquidation was illegal and asking the UN committee for its opinion. After careful consideration, the UN responded earlier this month with unconditional support. Belarusian authorities have violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (16-AUG-07)
 

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) expresses its deepest concern regarding a wave of arbitrary arrests and subsequent detentions of several opposition members in the run-up of the Belarus «State Sovereignty Day», which took place on 27 July. (01-AUG-07)
  

On 23 July 2007 an initiative group of human rights activists applied to the Ministry of Justice for registration of the human rights public association Viasna. In the time when the authorities liquidate many NGOs and refuse to register new ones , a group of Belarusian human rights activists decided to unite their forces and try getting a state registration.(24-JULY-07)
 

Freedom House published its regular report about the situation with the freedom of the press. “Of the 195 countries and territories examined in the survey, three of the 10 worst press freedom abusers — Republic of Belarus, Republic of Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan — are found in the former Soviet Union”, the report says. (25-JUNE-07)
 

The committee consists of representatives of oppositional parties, NGOs and other public movements and was established simultaneously with the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Its activity will be oriented on restoration of the victims’ rights and compensation of the material and moral harm done to them. (12-JUN-07)